


Home is Where the Heart is

by AceAsADHD



Category: The Dark Tower (2017)
Genre: Backstory, Flashback, M/M, once married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 17:57:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13036413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceAsADHD/pseuds/AceAsADHD
Summary: This house was haunted, but not the way Jake probably thought. Memories could seep into walls, floors and places if those memories were strong enough. These memories were ones that Roland hoped to forget.





	Home is Where the Heart is

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Deifire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deifire/gifts).



> I haven't read the books so this is based solely on watching the movie. Also, this was written by listening to 'Yes' by Coldplay over and over.

They needed to get to the next town and fast, but walking was the only way to travel. The walk through the forest, thankfully, uneventful, but it was starting to get hard to see due to the heavy coverage foliage blocking the sun.

“It's getting dark,” Jake whined, “can we please stop?”

Roland looked at the sky to judge the time, “No, still have daylight so we must press on. We need to find somewhere safe to rest for the night.”

He heard the kid grumble, but Roland largely ignored it, they had to cover more ground before nightfall to stay one step ahead.

They continued onwards for a while longer before Jake spoke up again, “what about in there? Can we camp in there?”

Roland turned to the kid and turned to look in the direction that the kid was pointing. The house looked old and run-down, clearly abandoned with the forest reclaiming the roof and surrounding fence, Roland regarded with disdain, “No, let's keep moving.”

“What?” Jake couldn't believe what he was hearing, “How is a house unsafe?”

“You ever stop and think why it is abandoned?” Roland didn't take his eyes off the place.

“So? We can do a sweep and board up the doors from the inside.”

“No Jake,” Roland turned again to keep moving, “it's haunted.”

“Well I'm going in,” Jake declared, “I've defeated a haunted house before, and I can do it again. You can sleep on the forest floor again if you want.”

Looking up to the sky and taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Roland followed Jake towards the house. Jake opened the wooden gate and ran up to the front porch. Roland paused and reached out to brush the gate post with his fingers.

~~~

Roland heaved the sledgehammer up and over his shoulders and brought it down hard on a wooden post. It was of many forming a fence around his home. It was more of a formality at this stage, in this forest, as isolated as it was, there was little risk of someone encroaching on his territory. Roland wanted it there if to be nothing more than a status symbol and an imaginary barrier between them and the outside world. A physical reminder that the world didn't exist inside the perimeter.

The day was warm with the sun out, and there was the occasional cloud overhead to give a reprieve from the rays. Roland had been working since sunrise to finish the last border in front of the house. He was hammering the final post, the post that would hold the gate; into the ground before he could start work on the panels.

“Am I ever going to get my husband back?”

Roland turned towards the call to see his husband walk out the patio stairs, “I haven’t gone anywhere, my love.”

Walter hummed as he got closer, holding his hands at his back as is his habit, “and yet I’m all alone in a big house and not having the post-martial time I thought I was going to get.”

Resting the sledgehammer on the post, Roland took a few steps to meet Walter and put his hands on his lover’s hips, “We will have plenty of time for those things after I finish.”

“I feel conflicted,” Walter brought his arms around to lay them around Roland's neck, “You're hot and sweaty, which is always a turn on but I didn't make you that way.”

Roland chuckled at his lover's pouting and pulled him flush against himself, resting his forehead against Walter’s, “I promise, my love if there are no interruptions I’ll finish at the top of the hour.”

Walter stole a kiss, “are you calling me an interruption, my dear?”

“Of course I am,” Roland stole a kiss back, “as handsome as you are, you're not the most patient.”

“I could have this fence raised for you in a matter of minutes,” Walter declared in a commanding tone. The tone was one of a promise, just say the word and he would give you the moon from the sky, “you're the one insisting on all this hard work.”

Roland hummed in agreement and took in the small chuckle Walter let escape, “You could help me lift the panels, it would speed things up. Lifting without magic that is.”

“Absolutely not, and risk these hands?” Walter caressed the back of Roland’s head as he chuckled at the old argument between them and held no malicious. Walter saw his hands as precious instruments and loathed using them for anything that might cause them harm.

They stood in each other's arms for a little while longer, stealing the occasional kiss and sharing a chuckle or two. The day was pleasant, and they let the soft breeze flow around them like they were the only two people in the world. Nothing outside of this moment mattered.

“Okay my love,” Roland gently pushed himself away from Walter, “I must finish this before dark.”

Walter caressed Roland's cheek as he let his hands fall to his sides, “very well, I’ll put a start on dinner.” and with a final leer at Roland's sweaty appearance, Walter walked back into the house.

Roland watched him until the door shut, smiling at how lucky he was to have this life. A husband he loved, a house to call his own. He turned to his work so he could get finished as soon as he could.

~~~

He didn’t know how much time he spent lost in thought, staring at the house he once called his own. Roland felt like he was walking through syrup as he passed through the threshold of the yards, the threshold he once made with his own hands.

This house was haunted, but not the way Jake probably thought. Memories could seep into walls, floors and places if those memories were strong enough. These memories were ones that Roland hoped to forget.

Jake was already up the porch stairs and at the door, so Roland picked up his pace, “Wait,” Roland cut Jake off physically, “I’ll enter first.”

“It’s about time,” Jake mumbled as he stepped back to allow Roland access to the door.

Taking his gun out of his holster, Roland carefully opened the door, gun first, and surveyed the foyer. The inside of the house looked just as run down as the outside. Plants, crawlers and various animals broke through the floorboards, walls and roof and left their marks.

Roland pushed the door roughly so that anything that might be hiding behind would be stunned. The door hit the wall with a crash that scattered some birds in one of the back rooms. He stepped through the threshold he once carried his husband through It hurt as much as he thought it would but only his Gunslinger train kept the emotions from his face.

Noise from his left jerked Roland towards, what looked like a kitchen setting. As he lowered his guns, Roland got caught in another memory.

~~~

“Roland,” Walter’s voice carried through the doorway to the kitchen, “My Dear is that you?”

The Gunslinger made his way forward and lent in the threshold to look over the scene with amusement. Various pots bubbling on the stoves, herbs in states of preparation, jugs of liquids ready to be added, all littering the surfaces of the kitchen. Walter cooked like he worked, tightly controlled chaos. Roland couldn’t try to take over if he wanted to.

“Are you expecting anyone else, My Love?” Roland called back, “Should I come back another day.”

“I’m not even expecting you, My Dear, for a few more weeks. Not that this isn’t a pleasant surprise,” Walter appeared around a corner. Walter surveyed his husband happily until he spotted Roland’s hand pressing on his side, “Roland, what happened?”

Roland thought he probably should have continued to the bathroom before Walter spotted him but knew ultimately knew it was better to get things over with. At the moment Walter would just panic if Roland had tried to hide it Walter would both panic and get mad and that combination would be harder to talk down.

With a flick of his wrist, Walter had the kitchen cleaned and the food fully prepared and covered on the counter. Walter gave Roland a look to dare mention the ‘No Magic is the House’ rule as he guided his husband to the nearest kitchen chair.

“My Dear,” Walter knelt before Roland, his magical fingers working to remove the gunslinger's layers, “When I expected to take off your clothes as you arrived I imagined a different scenario.”

“So was I My Love,” Roland softly admitted as he gingerly placed his belt and guns on the table next to them. He sat still, only moving when gently pushed by Walter so the wizard could remove clothing. When the last dressing came off Walter took a sharp intake at the sight.

“My Love,” Roland took Walter’s hand to give it a reassuring squeeze, “It looks much worse than it is, the bruising has all come up and will go in a day or two.”

“And the scabbing around the abrasion will come off too,” Walter gave the wound a look of disdain before standing to move towards the medicine cabinet, “I know a bullet wound when I see one; My Dear.”

The term of affection, normally warm and loving, was dripping with malice. Not at Roland, never at Roland, but at the person that caused Roland harm. The Gunslinger knew he would have to tread carefully as one missed placed word would cause Walter to burn the world around them with the need to protect him and prevent this happening again.

“It was just a training accident, a simple mistake,” Roland watched Walter mess around in the cabinet. His husband knew which salve was the one Roland preferred for bruising which meant Walter was stalling.

“A training accident? Seriously Roland? Some greenhorn who wouldn’t know the barrel of a gun from a log managed to get a shot in?” Walter picked up a jar and slammed the cabinet door closed, “Surely there’s a war you can send them off to instead of them hurting you.”

Roland couldn’t help chuckle at Walter’s extreme solution, though it was telling that Walter was ready to calm down, “My Love,” Roland held out a hand which deflated Walter as he accepted it. Roland directed Walter to sit on his lap, once they were curled around each other Roland gently spoke again, “Our role is to protect the tower and be glad there’s not a war or you wouldn’t see me nearly as often. The greenhorn in question has been suitably punished, so there is no need to go on a crusade for me.”

Roland felt a gentle kiss on his temple and barely heard the words whispered into his forehead, “My Dear, you are worth burning and salting the earth for, never forget that.”

They sat, tangled together, for a countless time, just existing in each other’s presences.

“Roland.”

Lost in the moment the Gunslinger hummed, “yes My Love?”

“Roland,” The voice stopped sounding like Walter’s, “Roland!”

~~~

“Roland? Roland!” Jake’s voice broke through his captured brain, “I think the kitchen is clear.”

The Gunslinger lowered his guns as he was transported back to reality. The once pristine kitchen looked in ruin, matching the outside of the house, “So it is.”

He turned the other way and surveyed the lounge room. Vines and other plants decorated the walls in place of pictures and wall hangings that were now on the floor. Bird’s nests littered most surfaces including the fireplace. The couch and armchairs, while dirty, looked serviceable.

“We’ll camp in here tonight,” Roland moved carefully to the back of the room so he could look at the stairs. His boots crunched broken glass and leaves which disturbed birds and rodents which fled the area.

“Why here?” Jake asked, “Surely this place has a bedroom or two.”

“You want to risk your leg walking up these stairs?”

Roland felt Jake move to stand next to him, “oh.”

“Oh is right.”

The stairs were mostly still in place, but a few of the rotten panels looked like there wouldn’t take much to break away. Roland was quietly glad he wouldn’t have to face the demons upstairs. This whole house was full of things he would rather forget, a different time of his life; upstairs was where the worst memories lived.

“Can we start a fire in the fireplace?” Jake’s question pulled him out of his funk.

Roland regarded the stairs for the last time then turned to the living room, “yes and its smoke can be a beacon to everyone around that we are here.”

Jake threw his hands in the air, “It was just a question man. We had a fire last night; it only has to be a small one.”

“If you can start the fire you can pick where it is,” Roland headed for the door, he needed to breathe, to get out of here, “I’ll go catch us dinner.”

A Gunslinger never flees, they only made strategic retreats.

~~~

It was the wrong type of day for the mood of what was happening. It should have been stormy miserable weather complete with thunder and lightning. Instead, it was only slightly overcast with a light breeze.

Roland had one bag over his shoulder, and one carried in his hand as he exited the front door. He let the door slam to emphasise the mood.

He came home only a few days ago, to find some reprieve from news of terrible battles. Fields of gunslingers dead on the ground but with little bloodshed, that implied magic. Roland wasn’t going to be able to get away from work until they sorted things out. Hopefully, it would be quick, but magic was a tricky thing and its users even worse.

Roland hoped to get his husband’s opinion on who may be behind the killings. In a way, he found out exactly what he wanted, just in the worse way. Maps and plans littered the kitchen table, places of battle highlighted and most distressingly, plans to hurt The Tower.

The confrontation was brutal, being so close to someone meant you knew how to hurt the other the most.

Neither side budged from their position. Walter to destroy the Tower and Roland to protect the Tower. Walter caught every bullet and Roland was immune to every spell.

Roland was opening the gate when the door slammed again.

“If I can’t have you, no one will,” Walter yelled at Roland’s retreating back, “Everyone around you will die.”

Gripping the post of the gate one last time Roland kept his gaze a head and never looked back.

~~~

Roland heard a noise in his sleep and pulled his guns to train on what was causing the movement. He didn’t want to believe the sight that greeted him.

Walter put his hands up slowly, “now remember what I said about guns in the home.”

It could have been a day of old, Walter just back from his day at work and Roland there to greet him, “Forgive me if I didn't realise this was still enough of a home to have rules.”

Walter pursed his lips and nodded while looking around, “That’s fair.” The man in Black moved his hands to his back, “Hello, who do we have here?”

Rowland realised too late that Walter’s gaze fell on Jake, who was oblivious to the conversation, still in a deep sleep. Roland stood up and hid his panic with practised ease if what he thought the Kid could be then Roland couldn’t let Walter touch him, “He’s just a kid I’m transporting.”

“Just a kid,” Walter stepped closer and raised his hand over Jake, “that you brought into our house.”

“It stopped being ours a long time ago.” Roland also took a step forward, “Don’t.”

Walter sized Roland up then curled his hand and pulled. Roland tensed for a moment as he watched the blanket over Jake’s waist moved up to his chin. Roland relaxed and put his guns away; they wouldn’t be any use here, not against Walter.

The Man in Black was suddenly in Roland’s face, “It could be ours again, give up your crusade against me, and we can go back to being happy again.”

“You killed everyone I loved.” Roland frowned, “I don’t think we can come back from that.”

“You took everything I loved from me, why shouldn't I return the favour?”

“I left you because you become too possessive and obsessed.”

“And I thought those were traits you like about me.”

“Until you threaten my friends and family and The Tower.”

Walter rolled his eyes and walked passed Roland on the way to the door, “You’ll come back to me you can’t seem to leave me alone.”

“I will find you and kill you,” Roland called to the retreating back.

“Promises, promises.”

With that, the Man in Black disappeared, and Roland was the one that stood in the house alone.

“Roland?” a tired voice spoke, reminding Roland he wasn’t so by himself.

“Go back to sleep Jake,” Roland settled back down, “It was just a dream.”


End file.
